Newcastle Pursue 20 Year-Old Irish Midfielder

The January transfer window mustn’t be too far away, because we have already been linked with at least one promising youngster.

John Joe O’Toole – 6’2″ 20 year-old midfielder

There is news that we may make a move for Walford’s Republic of Ireland under-21 midfielder John Joe O’Toole. John was born in Harrow, England but is of Irish descent, and has played at least 4 times for the Ireland Under-21, side scoring one goal.

The 6’2” O’Toole, a midfield player, who turned 20 years old just a month ago, has been in very good form this season, scoring seven goals in 12 appearances for the Hornets.

He has already played 41 times for Watford in the League Championship and has scored 9 goals. We are being told that O’Toole could attract a £1M bid in the January transfer window, although we haven’t seen him play yet, but that would appear to be a reasonable deal.

O’Toole went on loan to Wealdstone last year and played 9 games for them, scoring 4 goals, so he certainly seems to have the knack of scoring goals from his midfield position.

However, unless something is sorted out before January, and new owners are installed, it will be a brave lad who will come to Newcastle United, after all the upheaval at the club, following Kevin Keegan’s resignation.

However, the club still has a good name and hopefully we can get something sorted out before the end of the year. But if it’s not possible to sell the club before January, then owner Mike Ashley should tell us, and let us know what his plans are for then.

33 responses so far ↓

There are lots of good buys in the championship but im not sure about this guy, Its always a risk you dont know if they will make the step up. If we havent been sold doubt we will be buying anyone anyway.

Whats the point in mentioning players the club may be interested in, when we are in a state of limbo.
MA is not about to spend or take on any debt at this time and where did the rumor come from, are the scouts still activly looking to aquire prospects during the Jan. window ?
Lotta speculation, same old wall of silence, must have retained the same old PR team.

I don’t know, he’s got potential all right. He’s a decent centre mid. But Do we want potential or do we want someone to throw in at the deep end that doesn’t drown??
What strikes me most about him is his physique. He’s tall, rangy and athletic. It’s what we’re missing on the international scence, we’ve small players. He’s a decent finish on him in fairness but I don’t know if it’d be him being flung into the deep end.
I don’t know if he’d be able to swim just yet. He’s just a wee lad.
He’s potential all right, but he’s not that good in the way that he is barely on the international scene.

In some of the games he’s been in he’s been a class act. Very quick, great vision and an excellent crossing and he knows where the back of the net is.

He’s the combative type. He’s a tough tackling wee midfielder.

From an Irish point of view central midfield looks good to be our strongest position in the future.

He looks very promising but this all of this, the pressure of the Premiership, and the pressure of Newcastle, and the possibility of a relegation scrap might be a wee bit too hectic for the wee lad.

The story comes from Wise being spotted watching several Watford games since the season started, I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t move for him in January as there is money in the clubs account from the sale of Milner.

He’s the sort of player that Newcastle fans will bitch and moan about because he isn’t the finished article but would bitch and moan that if the club didn’t go for him and he went on to be a class act somewhere else.

Be so disappointed if this is the standard we’re going for. It’s so clear that we need reliable, experienced and TALENTED players, not another Guthrie with “potential”. I’m over the club buying players for “potential”, we need instant QUALITY.

geremi can cross? i’d like to see those games, cause i havent seen any. maybe with chelsea? but def not here

and taylor to captain england? i wish i could place a bet with you. the only reason he’d ever captain england is if the english clubs continue to turn a blind eye on nurturing their youngsters instead of buying foreigners. good possibility but even still, wheater, woodgate, king, i could see ferdinand (rio) being in the frame for quite awhile, terry’s still relatively young, anton ferdinand (who isnt that great but is better than taylor) richards, onahoa or whatever his name is. plenty more. tell me how he’s even gonna get a senior game, then try to say he’s gonna captain england. taylor is shit. if we get a replacement first oba, i agree, sell him, but not like we did with the milner deal, not at all

Oh well, I know Premier League is full of rules, but Newcastle could really think about signing the new brazilian ace Keirrison. He’s terrific, much more better than Pato, and also than Lucas and Anderson – that are not his position but are just MIDIA PLAYERS.

Keirrison, if signs for Liverpool, will make a huge impact. But his rights belongs to a business called Traffic, and I really don’t know – as happened with Tevez with MSI – if he could move to English Football. Anyway, I think Palmeiras is very almost of contracting him.

It would be great if we had Johnny Evans a real good CB unlike Taylor who cannot defend to save his life. Just because a player plays for the U-21 means nothing, Bramble played for the U-21’s. I would play Bassong alongside Colo and just use Taylor as cover for now but ideally I would like to see Steven Taylor leave the club !

Matt..England are so, unbelievably overrated. Always have been and always will be.
They believe that they’ve the right to win it because they’re the home of the beautiful game, more like the hosts these days.

Ireland, will win it before England do. Don’t get me started on America..soccer..the fans..USA USA. LOL!!

I TOLD U OVER AND OVER WE GOT A TEAM OF REJECTS .WE GOT A FEW GOOD ONES BUT NOT LIKE GERRARD .I THINK JONAS AND GIVEN ARE THE ONLY PLAYERS THAT PLAYS TO WIN FOR NEWCASTLE .AND TAYLOR AINT THAT BAD HE’S BETTER THAN A SHOLA .WE NEED TO BUILD A ENTIRE TEAM FROM SCRATCH .GIVEN WONT BE HERE IN 5 YEARS TIME .BEST OF LUCK TO JOE FOR TRYIN THE IMPOSSIBLE WITH OUR CURRENT TEAM THAT CANT EVEN WIN CONVINCINGLY AGAINST WEST SH@T BROM.MY GOD WHAT HAS HAPPEN TO OUR BELOVED TEAM TO GO SO LOW.WE SHOULD COUNT OURSELF LUCKY IF WE STILL PLAY PREMIERSHIP NEXT SEASON.HOWAY THE LADS

Whats with the ‘Taylor Hating’ it wasn’t too long ago that evryone was loving Steve Taylor. Ok this seasons not been his best, but he has put quality performances in for u sin the past. He is still so young considering CB’s don’t enter there prime until their late twenties.

How about instead of selling one of brightest prospects, we get rid of some of the dead weight, like the players that are too old i.e viduka,butt, cacapa and the players that havce no skill i.e. ameobi.

The only reason i have not included smith and geremi is cause they do have spirit and always seem to want to do there best for the club, which is the kind of siege mentallity we need right now. Thinking about it who else bleeds bvlack and white??? oh yeah Taylor!

I think the Taylor has given his all for the club and has had to deal with personnel changing around him pretty consistantly throughout his time in the firts team. If we give him and colo time to gel i think we could be onto one of the strongest central defensive partnerships that i have ever known at Newcastle.

Keegan Og..I’m sorry but if wee Taylor is a greta prospect then I’d hate to see a poor one.
Wee young players like himself are supposed to get better with age and experience, he’s gotten worse. Ya CBs usually peak in their late 20s, I’m not saying we’re expecting him to be Vidic or Ferdinand..etc over night.
But maybe a player that when wee Given looks at the teamsheet each week doesn’t make him sigh and dread the game if his names on it.
A player that makes a keepers hard job even harder, because he’s to go around cleaning up his messes.
Taylor this season has caused more trouble then good.
Now yes Taylor is young, he’s 20/21 years old. But lets be honest looking at his games. Football wise, there’s not that much up there between the ears.
Now maybe one day he’ll be great, but I’m sorry unless that one day is next week and not 10 years time, then I don’t have much patience. 10 years time will be too late, his form then is not going to save us now.
Right NOW, he’s been poor, game after game, decision after decision, he’s made Given’s life on the pitch a living hell, that mans the patience of a Saint but I don’t know how he or anyone else at this stage hasn’t gone over and smacked him.
He’s been poor, oh so very poor. That’s the form that he’s been on NOW. And now’s all that matters. You don’t play well you get dropped that’s how it should be.
Instead we’re discussing who gets the armband him or Given, when the mere mention of Taylor’s name would send a shiver down Given’s (or Harper for that matter) neck, in the same way as Bramble did.
Taylor as much as a prospect he might be, has been shocking and been an idiot on the field that there isn’t a fan who doesn’t close their eyes praying for divine intervention, everytime he gets near the ball.
It’s harsh but it’s true. Right now he’s useless to us.

Ya he’s had to deal with personal changing around him, but they all have, I wouldn’t put it beyond question that Given and Harper have a bet with eachother on how long a new manager will last everytime a new one comes in.

Aye he’s a wee lad, but at some stage or another he’ll have to grow up.
Other players his age have matured rapidly, players like McGeady who step out to taunts and boes on a regular bases because of the country he chose to play for.
The whole weight of a club and country are on Rooney’s shoulders. Yet he manages supremley. Same with slave boy Ronaldo.
And even that wee lad Walcott. He’s flying a year or so after they joked about him having to wear armbands in the pool in the new ground. cause he was so young.
Or Fabregas who literelly carried the weight of the entire Arsenal football club on his shoulders last season. He managed to preform.

They are pressures on another level that he will never experience. He’ll never, ever experience the type of pressure Rooney is put under every day of the football season be it with his club or country. He is just a wee lad and he’s expected to be their savior.
Each one of them have stood up.

This is the age they find themselves. This is the age that they are tested and answer the questions. They may not peak at this age but they show their promise. And truth be told, sadly, so far I’ve seen very little from Taylor. He needs to step up or the game will leave him behind and he’ll be left in the paddling pool with the wee little kiddies in the Championship.

john heitinga 4 million – NO
juan pablo sorin free – NO
thomas graveson free – DEFINITELY NOT
john-joe o’toole 1million – maybe
mathew etherington 5 million – Do we need another injury ridden player who won’t move from London anyway?
james macfadden 5 million – Way overestimated, worth 2.5m max IMO
ignacio gonzalez 2million (permanent) – no way, not proven himself

total:17 million spent

sells:

geremi 1 million
nzogbia 8 million
smith 3million – very lucky to get 3m
ameobi 2million – i’d pay 2m to get rid of him
viduka 1million – very lucky to get 1m
butt 1million – ”

Keegan Jnr, it’s nice to finally see someone like myself who actually sticks up for Taylor. He’s had to put up with the pressure of holding the defensive line together for so long and at such a young age (and at his hometown club) that could be destroying, but he’s coped. Now he’s finally got a more-than-mediocre centrehalf partner in Colo and his development can finally begin to take off without as much pressure on his shoulders. Doubters, give him a bleedin’ break.

I never thought of that, James millner was sold for twelve million, Mike has said he’s not prepared to bank roll NUFC anymore. Will that 12m be in NUFC credit? you recon that’s what we’ll have to spend in january?

If Taylor ever makes the England squad then I fear that it was’t the last time that your country missed a great tournament like Euro2008. If you have to rely on players like Taylor, Milner to get in your national team then it is not going into the right direction. And I know what I talk about, cause finally our national team is starting to get good results (Belgium), because we finally get very talented players.

I think it is very good to support young players, like Taylor, but even a blind man can see that he is a complete disaster at present. Like someone said younger players need to improve their play, he isn’t improving at all he is going backwards. If you don’t see that then you don’t know anything about football.

I think the reason it took so long for Taylor to get a big contract was because NUFC know he’s sh!t and didnt want to give him one.
Honistly he is an absolute donkey for being turned and doesnt have the confidence to make a tackle until almost in his own net. These are traits that he won’t get rid of now. Taylor will never PLAY for england never mind being captain. Come on, there are so many better English CB’s than S.Taylor; Terry, Ferdinand, Richards, Carragher,
If Man City bring in another CB to go with Dunne and Richards, I think we should make a serious bid for Onuoha, who is young and already better than Taylor.
We will never win anything with Steven Taylor.

In honor of two dedicated Newcastle fans, who lost their lives supporting Newcastle United, when their passenger jet was shot down over Ukraine on Thursday July 17th, 2014 by rebels, as they were traveling to support the team in New Zealand.

We will never forget them.

Fantasy League

Mark Harding has again set up the Fantasy League for our readers for this season.

The new code is 3641-1656 and people can set up the league here:

http://fantasy.premierleague.com

====================

Health Update - 4 Feb, 2015

I had another battery of medical tests early last week, and the results show my PSA count as undetectable, which means the prostate cancer is still under control, and there is no trace of cancer in the body.

I'm very pleased about that!

Ed Harrison

=========================

What Is A Football Club?

“What is a club in any case?"

“Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it.

It’s not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes."

“It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city."

“It’s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father’s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.”